Unearth the untold stories of brilliant female inventors whose groundbreaking work was long hidden in history’s shadows.
From Myra Juliet Farrell to Hedy Lamarr, meet the pioneering women who shaped the modern world – often without the credit they deserved.
The lost legacy of women inventors
It’s a sad truth that women inventors are less likely than men to be credited for their work. In the past they were not encouraged to apply for patents, which were often put in the names of their husbands. Despite attempts to suppress their work, today we can piece together the truth and give these women the respect they rightfully deserve.
Myra Juliet Farrell: Australia’s forgotten female inventor
Myra Juliet Farrell was born in County Clare Ireland in 1878 and moved with her family to Australia. When she was only 10, she invented a self-locking safety pin. Her first patent was for a device that could copy a skirt pattern onto material. She devised an inhalant to help relieve the symptoms of TB and she spared women the torture of wearing an uncomfortable corset by redesigning a boneless corset.
The unusual inventive process of Myra Farrell
Her method of invention was quite unusual. She would notice a need for something, think about it and sleep on it. She would dream about a way of solving the problem in great detail and when she awoke, she would write it down. During World War I she invented a barricade that could repel ammunition and lessen the impact of shells, and a light that could be projected to a great distance. On top of all that, she was a talented landscape painter. Yet few people have ever heard of her.
Hedy Lamarr: The actress who helped invent Wi-Fi
I’m sure you have heard of Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr, known in her day as ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’. But did you know that she was also a very talented inventor?
Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna in 1914, Hedy wasn’t just a pretty face. At the beginning of World War II, Lamarr and composer George Antheil developed a radio guidance system using frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology for Allied torpedoes, which paved the way for today’s Bluetooth technology.
Brains & beauty: The inventions of Hedy Lamarr
She also helped improve aircraft aerodynamics for Howard Hughes while they dated during the war. She was given little credit for this, her successes dismissed – after all, a pretty girl can’t have brains as well, can she?
There are many more stories like this, which I discover when I’m researching a crossword clue. I hope they’ve inspired you to go and find some of your own!
This article was originally published under the title Trailblazing Women by our sister brand Lovatts Crosswords & Puzzles.
